Jani O Jani - Meharbaani by Ravindra Jain, Hemlata

Released as part of Meharbaani, Jani O Jani - Meharbaani announced itself as a standout the moment it reached listeners. Credit goes to Ravindra Jain for a score that understands exactly what the song needs and nothing more.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Jani O Jani - Meharbaani, Ravindra Jain, Hemlata clearly belongs in the second group. Hearing Jani O Jani - Meharbaani without thinking of Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Mahendra Sandhu, Narendranath, Bindu is almost impossible for anyone who has seen Meharbaani.

Released in 1982, it arrived at a time when Hindi music needed exactly this kind of sincerity. It is the kind of track that works at full volume with friends and equally well in a quiet room alone — the mood adjusts without the song changing.

Running to 4:56, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. The staying power of Jani O Jani - Meharbaani is not a mystery. It is just what happens when every element of a song is exactly right.